The Perfect Bands to Suit Your Every Obscure Mood

Most pop songs are about love — falling in it, basking in its glow, getting sick of it, mourning its death, searching anew for it. Considering how much of our emotional energy is devoted to those things, this makes some sense. But what about feelings that have nothing to do with romance? How can those of us who prefer to treat our psychological excesses with music — rather than, say, talk therapy or medication — revel in nostalgia or beat an acute case of anxiety? We’ve made our prescriptions after the jump; be sure to take two, call us in the morning, and tell us what mood-music pairings you’d add in the comments.

Nostalgic: Beat Happening

Nostalgia is, of course, subjective. Everyone has a particular band that evokes personal childhood or teenage memories. But lo-fi OGs Beat Happening evoke a sort of universal nostalgia, their simple arrangements, charmingly off-key vocals, and unselfconsciously childish lyrics distilling relationships and experiences to their headiest and most innocent core. Delving into this band’s back catalog is the musical equivalent of throwing yourself a tea party, complete with threadbare stuffed animals and oddly dressed dolls.